Clamp for rail heaters



NQV- 13, 1934- w. H. GREENFn-:LD 1,980,916

CLAMP FOR RAIL HEATERS Original Filed Oc't. 7, 1930 MMMML l--fl 33 2? 721:794- Irwelzior.-

Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,980,916 CLAMP Fort RAIL HEATERS William H. Greenfield, Philadelphia, Pa.

Original application October '7, 1930, Serial No.

486,897. Divided and this application July 30,- 1932, Serial No. 626,574

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-253) This application is a division of my pending with and embodying the principles of the present application, Serial No. 486,897, iiled October 7, invention; e 1930, disclosing my invention having as one of Figure 2 is a cross-sectionalview taken on the its principal objects the provision of means for line 2 2 of Figure 1;

l applying heat to predetermined zones of a rail- Figures 3 and 5 are plan views respectively 60 way track by direct radiation from a high reof different forms of spring clamps for retaining sistance heating element, this element being in the heater unit in position; and

the form of an electric resistor which is adapt- Figures 4 and 6 are sectional views taken reed t raise the temperature 0f the I'al in the Zone spectively on line 4 4 of Figure 3 and'line 6-6 in which the element is located to a degree sufof Figure 5. 65

ciently high to prevent the formation of sleet, Referring now to the drawing and more parsnow or ice in said Zone. ticularly to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, it will be An ObJ'eOt Of the present inVentiOn iS the proobserved that the rail heating unit, designated vision of a quick-detachable clamping device generally by the reference numeral 1o, is adapted which iS Capable of securing the heating unit to be mounted in position within the angle formed 70 in position against the rail to be heated in such between the base flange and web of a main rail manner as to effectively concentrate the heat R, It will be understood that this rail R may in the desired zone whereby the loss in heat transbe a, portion of an ordinary track switch or frog mission from said unit to the rail is reduced to or a portion 0f a conductor rail for supplying a veritable minimum, the Said Clamping CleViCe electric power to electrically driven cars or trains. 75

functioning efficiently to maintain the heating It will further be understood that the rail heatllnt SeCilrelY in DOSitiOn against the VibratlOnS ing units 10 aredesigned to be located at spaced and Shocks t0 Which the heating unit iS Ordinarintervals along the track, particularly at points ily Silbl'eeted While in llSewhere the formation or the accumulation of ice,

Still anOther ObJ'eCt Of the inVentiOn iS the sleet or snow would entail more or less serious S0 provision of a clamping device having a spring- Consequences, pressed bail which is designed to resiliently main- The heating unit 10 essentially comprises an tain the rail heating unit in Operative DOSitiOn electrical resistance element 1l which is supported With reSpeCt tO the rail, the Said deViCe being upon the inner surface of a main casing or housoperative, without necessitating the use of any ing 12 As appears quite Clearly in Figures 1 und S5v Special tools, to permit the ready removal or 2 this housing 12, which is pre-ferablyin the form replacement Of the heating unit. of a sheet metal stamping, is provided with an Still another and iInDOrtant Object Of the ininclined wall or plate 13 the upper and lower venton iS the prOViSiOn 0f Spring-Dressed IneanS longitudinally extending edges of which are for quick-detachablv Securing the heating unit flanged, as at 14 and 15. The side edges ofthe 90 in operative p osition against the rail, said securhousing plate 13 are respectively iuturned to pming means bemg 0f Such Character as to entle vide a pair of substantially parallel, triangularly 1y eliminate the necessity for Screw or bolt holes shaped side walls 16. 'rhese triangular side walls in the TaL 16 are so shaped that when the bottom edges 1'7 Other objects of the invention, such as those thereof rest upon the upper surface of the base 95 .relating generally t0 Simplicity in design, eeensauge of the rail the verticaledges 1s thereof omies of manufacture and efeienev and duwill abut the web of the rail. The main tack rabilitl7 in Se and Specifically tO details Of C011- plate 13 of the sheet metal housing lie-s in a plane StruCtiOn Will appear mOle fully herenaftersubstantially subtending the free edges of the tri- The invention consists substantiallyinthe comaugumr Side Wang thereof, as most clearly apbination, construction, location and relative arpears in Figure 2 When the housing is applied rangement Of Darts, all aS Will be deSCribeCl mOre to the rail an enclosed space or chamber is formed fully hereinafter, as shown in the accompanying therebetween, this space being bounded at its l drawing and aS finally DOinted Out in the apouter side by the inclined back plate 13, at its pended claims. In the accompanying drawing sides .by the triangular side walls 16, at its bottom wherein have been illustrated preferred embodiby the base flange of the rail and at its inner ments of the inventionzside by the web of the rail. rIlhe heating element Figure 1 is an elevational view of a rail equipped l1 is supported upon the inclined back plate in the ,55 with a heating unit constructed in accordance manner to be described'more fully hereinafter 11:0

but paralleling that of the inclined plate.

and in spaced relation With respect to the enclosed portions of the rail.

In order to most effectively concentrate the heat and to direct it against the rail with av minimum loss in heat transmission the main back plate 13 of the housing or casing is provided with a lining 19 of suitable heat resisting material. Inasmuch as the heating unit 10 forms no part of this divisional application except as it is particularly related to the clamping device therefor, no attempt will be made herein to describe in detail the heating unit, reference being made for this purpose to the above identified parent application, Serial No. 486,897. 'l Integrally formed in the inclined plate 13 of the housing or casing at longitudinally spacedpoints thereof are a pair of outwardly pressed portions 20 providing a pair of sockets the aXes of which lie in a plane outwardly offset with relation to The upper end of these socketed portions 20 are curved as at 21 (see Figure 2) to merge into the plane of the inclinedv back plate `13 while the lower ends of thesaid socketed portions 20 are open for reception of the conductor plugs 22. 22, which are electrically connected to the ends of conductors 23 for supplying current-to the resistance el-ement, are adapted for cooperation with the terminal elements of the heating unit, these latter elements being respectively enclosed within the upper ends of the socketed portions 20. f

I have provided spring-pressed clamping devices for maintaining the heating unit l0 in the operative position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the advantages of this type of clamping device being that it requires no special tools for its installation or removal nor any screw or bolt holes or other structural changes in the rail'. My improved clamping device generally comprises a fiat body or plate 24 which is adapted tounderlie the base flange of the rail and a spring-pressed pivote'd member 25 Yadapted to overlie the inclined back plate 13 of the heater. The plate 24 of this clamp is preferably provided at opposite ends thereof with upstanding flanges 26 and 2'7 .for respectively engaging opposite edgesv of the rail base flange. The central portion of the flange 27 is rolle-d, as at 28, to provide a bearing for a horizontally extending sleeve 29 within the opposite ends of which are inserted the free lower ends of the bail member 25, this latter being preferably in the form of a rod bent into the shape most clearly shown in Figure l. kEmbracing the oppositely projecting portions of the sleeve 29 is a coil spring 30 which is operative to constantly urge the upper portion of the bail member 25 toward and against the plate 13 of the heater unit, thereby definitely forcing the latter 'into the' angle formed between the base and web of the rail.

The use of, a spring clamp of the character just described 4eliminates'the necessity of employing screws or bolts for securing the heater to the rail at the same time that it greatly facilitates the ease with which the unit may be' secured to and removed from the rail. Should it be desired .to remove the unit from the rail forpurposes of inspection, replacementor repair it is merely necessary to pull the plugs fromk their sockets and then swing the bail member 25 outwardly about the sleeve 29 as an aXis whereupon thef unit may be bodily removed from the rail, no tools of any sort being required in this operation.

In certain instances the base ange of the rail These plugs may vary from the standard and accordingly it may be desirable to employ a spring clamp having an adjustable base plate as shown in Figures 3 to 6. In the form of clamp shown in Figures 3 and 4 the base plate is formed of tWo members 31 and 32, the member 32 being provided with a spring-pressed bail member 33 similar in design and function to the hereinbefore described member 25. The inner portions of the members 3l and 32 are adapted to be arranged in the superposed relation shown, the side edges of these portions being respectively kerfed to provide a plurality of alternately arranged tongues 34 and slots 35.;r These tongues are all inclined With respect to the planes of their respective body members'v and are relatively so arranged that the Itongues of member 31 interlock with the tongues of member 32 when said members are assembled inthe relation shown. Obviously, the distance between the outer ends of the members 31 and 32 may be varied with in wide limits to accommodate base flanges of differentwidths merely .by changing the interlocking relation between the kerfed portions of the members.`

In Figures 5 and 6 an alternative arrangement is shown wherein the member 36 of the spring clamp is provided inopposite sides thereof with a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots 37, the member 33 being provided in Vturn with a pair of laterally spaced downwardly presenting lugs 39 adapted to be projected through any desired set of slots 37. In this alternative arrangement, it is iivreferable, when the members 36 and 38 are assembled in properly adjusted relation, to bend the lugs 39 upwardly against the bottom surface of the slotted member whereby to more positively lock the members 36 and 38 together.

It will be understood of course that the invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications other than those hereinbefore pointed out, all without departing from the general principles or real spirit of the invention, and it is accordingly intended to claim the same broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims. l

What is claimed as new and useful is:-V

1. A clamp for rail-heating device including a main body member of a Width sufficient to eX- tend entirely across the bottomI of the base flange of a rail and continuously dat in one face thereof to adapt it to underlie the base flange of arail, upstanding flanges formed upon opposite ends of said member for respectively engaging thelongitudinally' extending edges vof said rail base flange to preventl lateral displacement of said body member'relatively to said raiLand a springpressed bailfpivotally securedl to one-end of said member, said bail being normally urged ltoward the plane ef said member to engage a rail heater located within the angle formed between the web and the base flange of the rail.

2. A clamp for a rail heating device comprising 

